In a bid to fend off growing competition from Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Jaguar has given the full-size XJ a subtle facelift for the 2016 model year. The shot of Botox is accompanied by new tech features and more standard equipment.
Visually, it takes a well-trained eye to tell the 2016 XJ apart from a 2015 model. The updates are discreet and largely limited to redesigned LED headlights with J-blade daytime running lights, a bigger radiator grille with a new mesh pattern, new-look tail lamps, and a pair of oval exhaust pipes. Additionally, XJR models gain a standard Black Plack that adds black accents all around.
More important changes are found in the cockpit, where the XJ is fitted with a state-of-the-art infotainment system called InControl Touch Pro. Designed jointly with sister company Land Rover, InControl Touch Pro can handle huge amounts of data thanks to a quad-core Intel processor and a 60 GB solid-state hard drive. All of the software’s features are accessed via a tablet-like eight-inch touch screen that responds to pinch-to-zoom and swipe functions.
InControl Touch Pro can be paired with InControl Apps, which lets the driver connect his or her Apple or Android phone with the infotainment system system and access compatible applications. Buyers after a fully-loaded XJ can pay extra for a Wi-Fi hotspot and an eardrum-shattering 825-watt Meridian Surround Sound audio system that blasts through 17 speakers.
In Europe, the XJ gains an upgraded 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 engine that has been tuned to deliver 295 horsepower and a healthy 516 foot-pounds of torque, but the oil-burner is not available on our shores.
The U.S.-spec XJ carries on with no major mechanical modifications, meaning entry-level models continue with a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine rated at 340 horsepower and 332 foot-pounds of torque, and more expensive versions benefit from a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that makes 470 ponies and 424 foot-pounds of twist.
Both engines shift through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and they can be paired with Jaguar’s weather-beating All Surface Progress Control technology. In its most powerful configuration, the XJ can reach 60 mph from a stop in 4.9 seconds and go on to a top speed of 155 mph.
The updated 2016 Jaguar XJ will land in showrooms this fall. Pricing information will be published in the weeks leading up to its on-sale date.
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